Improvement in sprinklers for leaching apparatus



y AH. M cKEN-ZIL Sprinklers fur Leaching Apparatus.

NO 150595. Patenredmay 5,1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT Eric HENRY MCKENZIE, o1;1 YM AEQUETTE, MicrneAN.

'IMPROVEMNT IN SPRINKLERS FOR LEACHING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 150,595, dated May 5, 1874; application led May 1, 1874,

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, HENRY MOKENZIE, of

the city of Marquette, .in the county of Mar-V quette and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinkler for Leaching; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for the automatic distribution of fluids for leaching, and -to render such distribution uniform over the surface of the material; while at the same time providing means for regulating the quantity of the fluid so distributed without decreasing the head pressure, velocity of iow, or speed of the distributing apparatus, and to render such distribution of the iluids uniform without regard to the shape of the leaching-vessel. These are the distinctive features of Vmy invention, which consists in laying the fluid in a thin unbroken sheet, increasing in quantity in proportion to its distance from the axis of rotation, by means of fissures made in the opposite sides of the distributing-arms, and increasing in width toward their outer ends, while the outlet capacity of these distributers can be increased or diminished, and the volume thereby regulated without any change in the pressure, the velocity of the discharge, or in speed of the apparatus. My invention also consists in the com- 4 bination, with automatic-distributing arms, of

automatic gates or valves at the ends thereof, operating to open vents or iissures, at stated intervals during the revolving motion of the arms, for the purpose of projecting the uid l over an increased area of the leaching-vessel,

such as the spaces formed by the corners of a square or many-sided vessel, and in this way effect an equal distribution of the water or fluid over the Whole surface of the material without regard to the shape of the tub; the opening of the lgates being, of course, governed by the shape of the tub,'and` the means for effecting their opening being also made to conform to said movement of the gates.

i joint, b, from a fixed conduit, c, leading from the head or reservoir. These arms extend equidistant from the conduit, and are split tol form narrow openings or fissures Z d on opposite sides, from which the iiuid issues in thin sheets, and by its reaction causes the arms to revolve, discharging the leaching-duid into the tub; and in order that this discharge may be uniform, and inproportion to the increasing area of the tub from the center, these fissures are made to gradually increase in width from the conduit to the ends of the arms, as shown in Fig. l. To increase or diminish the width ofthe distributing-nssures I employ adjustingscrews e, passing vertically through the hollow arms, beingriveted therein at their lower ends. and provided with thumb-nuts f at their upper projecting ends, so as tobear upon the upper section of the split tube, and draw the sections together, or allow them to open as the nuts f are turned, the arms for that purpose having sufficient spring. These adjusting-screws e are arranged at such intervals as to effect the desired width of the discharging-fissures. In-

stead of having the adjusting-screws to pass portance, to effect a uniform degree of leaching by percolation. In connection with the automatic continuous distribution of the Huid from the arms, I also employ gates or valves g at the ends thereof, which are operated automatically at stated intervals to open ssures or jets to project sheets or streams of the fluid from the ends of the arms to sprinkle the anguiar spaces formed by square or many-sided tubs. These end streams may be projected in the line of the arms or obliquely thereto, and the gates may be arranged to work inthe ends ot the arms in any suitable way to accomplish this purpose. In the drawings they are arranged to slide vertically in guides formed iny heads h, on the ends of the pipes, and to open and close the end fissures g by means of levers i, connected with said gates, pivoted to short postsj 011 the arms,and connected to and-operated by a serpentine cam, K, xed to the lower end of the conduit, so that the revolving motion of the arms will carry the inner ends of the levers over the cam, and thereby cause the vibration of the levers, and the automatic opening and closing ofthe end gates.

The sinnosities of the cam must, of course, be made to conform to the frequency with which the gates are desired to be opened.

M y improved sprinkler is by its construction adapted for use with either round lorcsquare tubs, the only requirement for such change being the removal or attachment ofthe valveoperating levers, as with round tubs the valves serve as closed ends to the arms.

I claim- 1. A sprinkler, for use in leaching, having its discharge adjustable throughout the length of the arm for regulating the sheet-flow.

2. A sprinkler for leaching, having the revolvin g arms a, split to form fissures d, extending y nninterruptedly in l graduallyincreas1ng width from the center of motion, substantially 'asdescriberh whereby the uid is distributed uniformly without decreasing the head-pressure, velocity of flow, or speed of the distributing apparatus, substantially as described.

3. The split distributing-arms a, in combination with the adjusting-screws e, substantially as described, whereby the dischargingssures may be increased or diminished in width, to increase or diminish the volume of 

